


Into the Light

by CognizantCatastrophe



Series: Out Of The Shadows [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Actual Doctor Bruce Banner, Alpha Bucky Barnes, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Anal Sex, Dom/sub Undertones, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Knotting, M/M, Mpreg, Omega Tony Stark, Panic Attacks, Pregnancy Kink, Rhodey Is a Good Bro, Self-Lubrication, Sick Tony, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-23
Updated: 2017-06-10
Packaged: 2018-09-19 08:35:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9430292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CognizantCatastrophe/pseuds/CognizantCatastrophe
Summary: Sequel to Out of the ShadowsTony and Bucky are mated, and Tony couldn't be happier. Well, he couldn't until his mate was called away on a mission. His mate hadn't been gone three days and Tony was already a wreck. His hair was gross, he couldn't sleep even though he was exhausted, and he constantly felt nauseous. All of that misery just because his mate was away...Right?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Guys! I'm sorry. I'm a fail. I promised the sequel back in December, and... no. 
> 
> BUT DECEMBER WAS CRAZY. I graduated college. I left my teaching job. I started a new job as a copywriter. I had surgery, which I'm actually still recovering from (it was supposed to be pretty minor but it was HORRIBLE, let me tell you). Christmas happened.
> 
> December was... not conducive for writing. BUT I HAVE BEGUN AGAIN!
> 
> I'm going to try to post a new chapter every weekend, but I have no idea what days those updates will actually happen. I'm surprisingly busy, considering I'm no longer in school (omg that's so weird).
> 
> Okay. Enough of my babbling. Here's the sequel!
> 
> _Warning: This is a work in progress, which means tags and ratings are subject to change. If you see something that warrants a tag/rating change, please let me know._

Tony paced. He ran a shaky hand through his hair for probably the billionth time in the past few days, wincing as he noticed how gross it felt. His hair was a greasy mess, but that wasn’t too surprising. Constantly touching it (okay, tugging at it) and not showering in three days would do that.

Tony was tired – exhausted, really. He could feel it all the way down to his bones, but he couldn’t sleep. He hadn’t really slept alone since he’d met his alpha, and now he was finding it incredibly difficult to even attempt sleep without the man. Every time he tried, every time he closed his eyes, his mind began conjuring all sorts of worst-case scenarios about Bucky.

His alpha.

Who was on a mission…. And not there.

Natasha, Steve, and Fury had shown up in the middle of the night three days ago with a Hydra-related emergency they needed Bucky’s help with, and Tony hadn’t seen or heard from them since. He hadn’t slept since then, either.

And now he was feeling nauseous. Again.

Tony shivered, feeling chilled even though it was plenty warm in his workshop. He’d been fine until a few hours after Bucky left, and ever since he seemed to just be slowly getting worse. This flu (that was his working theory at the moment) was kicking his ass.

Ignoring the dirty state of his clothes, Tony sank down onto the couch in his workshop. He lay down and groaned.

“Boss, perhaps I should call Mr. Rhodes,” Friday said, sounding concerned.

“I’m fine,” Tony groaned.

“With all due respect, Boss, your vitals say otherwise.”

Tony huffed in annoyance. “Friday, I said no.”

“I have orders from your alpha to take care of you. His orders surpass yours when it comes to your health.”

“What?” Tony snapped, horrified. “Since _when_?”

“Since the two of you mated and you modified some of my settings,” Friday replied, sounding calm. Of course, she was calm! She was a machine… more so than Jarvis ever was.

“Remind me to change them back,” Tony groaned, curling on his side on the couch. His stomach lurched and he couldn’t hold back the whimper.

“You were the one who decided it was best for your alpha to have the primary say when your well-being was concerned,” Friday replied, unmoved. “You even said you had a tendency to forget to take care of yourself when you were busy or stressed.”

“I get it, Friday,” Tony growled, only to have that growl turn into a whimper when his stomach rolled.

Friday was silent for a few minutes and Tony thought she had decided to leave him alone. He was contemplating whether it was worth the effort to look for a trash can (just in case) when Friday began speaking to him again.

“Boss, I called Mr. Rhodes per your alpha’s parting instructions regarding your health. He and Dr. Banner will be here shortly.”

“You called Bruce, too?”

“They were together when I called Mr. Rhodes.”

Tony hummed and closed his eyes, one arm draped across his stomach as he curled in on himself. He felt exhausted and nauseous, and the only thing he wanted in that moment was his alpha.

They had experienced seven months of peaceful and mated bliss. He’d even had another heat just over a month ago, and everything had been perfect. Tony spent his days with Bucky, tinkering in his workshop, or checking in at the company. Bucky, in turn, spent his days with Tony, on the entire floor of Stark Tower that Tony had turned into a gym for his mate, or training with Steve.

They made plenty of trips to Malibu – or other exotic places when the mood struck Tony – but they primarily stayed in Stark Tower. Steve had wanted them to move into Avengers Tower with the rest of the team, but surprisingly it was Bucky who had put his foot down at that suggestion. Steve wasn’t thrilled at first, but he was appeased by the fact that both locations were within a reasonable driving distance.

That distance was something Tony was actually a little grateful for when Rhodey and Bruce walked into his workshop.

“Hey, guys,” Tony said, raising one hand weakly in acknowledgment. “Fancy seeing you here.”

“Tony,” Rhodey said, making his way over to the couch immediately. “Are you okay? Friday said you’re sick.”

“I’m fine, just a little tired,” Tony huffed dismissively. “Since you’re here, you should hang out. We could go upstairs and watch a movie. I insist you carry me, though. You still owe me for the last time you were sick.”

“We don’t need to talk about that,” Rhodey huffed. “At least you’re making fun of me. That means you’re not dying.”

“How about you let the medical professional be the judge of that?” Bruce asked. “Speaking of which, Tony, did you pay my school bills?”

“Only after I changed the forms to make you my primary doctor,” Tony shrugged.

Bruce smiled gently at Tony. “Thank you. I didn’t need you to do that.”

“You went and became an actual medical doctor because the team was using you as a medical doctor so much,” Rhodey pointed out. “Does it really surprise you that he did that, considering he built us an entire _tower_ to live in?”

“No, I guess it doesn’t,” Bruce sighed, pulling out a stethoscope. “Okay, Tony, I’m going to examine you. Friday said you haven’t been sleeping and you’ve been nauseous. That could be something, or it could be the result of missing your mate. Let’s hope it’s just because of the separation because that means we don’t have to actually worry about anything – it will just be inconvenient until he returns.”

Rhodey helped Tony sit up and Bruce went through all the steps of giving Tony a thorough examination. It wasn’t until Tony realized Bruce was frowning that he started getting concerned. “Uh… Brucie Bear?”

Bruce looked up and placed a gentle hand on Tony’s knee. “Tony, I want to run a quick blood test. I know you don’t like needles, but…”

Tony winced and stared at Bruce and Rhodey pleadingly. “Please, no.”

“Tony, you need it,” Rhodey said, taking Tony’s hand. “C’mon. Just squeeze my hand while Bruce works.”

“I hate needles. I HATE needles,” Tony whined. “I don’t want to. Isn’t there another way?”

“What if the other way is even worse than having blood drawn?”

“If it doesn’t involve needles, it won’t be worse,” Tony huffed.

“It also wouldn’t already be done,” Bruce said, slapping a Band-Aid on Tony’s arm. Tony stared at the Band-Aid in surprise.

“What?”

“It’s done,” Bruce said, holding up the vial of blood. “Thanks for distracting him, Rhodes.”

“Anytime,” Rhodey said, beaming up at Bruce.

“Traitor,” Tony muttered. “So… now what?”

“You don’t have the equipment I need here, so I’m going to go back home and run some tests. I’ll come back as soon as I get the results. In the meantime, I want you to drink a glass of water, take a shower, and get in bed. I don’t care if you can’t sleep; I want you to lay in that bed and not get up unless you need to go to the restroom.”

“For how long?”

“Until I get back.”

“But Brucie!” Tony protested, his eyes going wide.

“Doctor’s orders!” Bruce smirked. “You made me your primary physician; deal with the consequences.”

Tony glared.

“I’ll stay here to make sure you actually stay in bed,” Rhodey replied. “C’mon. Let’s get you up to your floor so you can follow the good doctor’s instructions.”

Tony grumbled but allowed Rhodey to haul him off the couch. He kept one arm thrown around the other man’s shoulders and leaned against him heavily as they made their way to the elevator that would take them directly to Tony’s floor, while Bruce took a different elevator so he could make his exit.

“Please tell me you don’t need help in the shower,” Rhodey said as he helped Tony out of the elevator and into the master bathroom. “I know it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve had to help you with that, but you have a mate now and I don’t really want him to come home to me helping you in the shower… and I also don’t want him to come home and find out you drowned yourself in the shower.”

“Just go grab me some clothes. I can handle this part, Honey Bear,” Tony said, pushing Rhodey away as he began slowly peeling his clothes off. Rhodey nodded and grabbed some clothes for him, setting them on the bathroom sink.

“Just yell if you need something… or tell Friday to get me.”

Tony nodded and waved as the other man left. Tony pulled off the last of his clothes and stepped into the shower, sighing as he felt the hot water meet his skin.

He washed his hair twice, shaved what he needed to shave, and when he finally felt clean, he couldn’t help just standing under the spray. The water was warm and comforting. It wasn’t until he started to fall asleep standing up that he realized he should probably get out of the shower.

Tony grabbed a towel off the warming rack, dried himself off, threw the towel in the corner like he knew Bucky hated because he missed his alpha and felt like acting like a pouting toddler in SOME way, and pulled on the clothes Rhodey had left for him.

Rhodey was waiting in a chair in Tony’s bedroom when he finally left the bathroom. Tony frowned for at it for a moment before realizing Rhodey must have dragged it in from the living room.

“Finally,” Rhodey said. “I was about to go in after you, but Friday insisted you were fine.”

“Obviously, I am,” Tony shrugged.

“Good,” Rhodey huffed. “That means you can get into bed. You need to drink the glass of water I left for you before you go to sleep, too, by the way. Bruce will kill me if you don’t.”

Tony rolled his eyes, grabbed the glass, and chugged the water. “Happy?”

Rhodey frowned. “I don’t think that’s what he had in mind, but it will do. Get in bed.”

Tony did, and Rhodey made himself comfortable in the chair. “So, you’re just going to sit there?”

“Until Bruce comes back, that’s exactly what I’m going to do,” Rhodey said, placing a tablet in his lap. “You try to sleep, I’ll make sure you stay in bed, and the big man will be happy when he gets back.”

“I’m not going to sleep,” Tony said stubbornly, even as he yawned.

“That’s fine,” Rhodey shrugged. “Just shut up while I do my paperwork.”

“That’s rude,” Tony huffed. He yawned again and snuggled down into the blankets, shivering when he caught the scent of his alpha. The scent, combined with Rhodey’s presence, quickly resulted in Tony falling asleep.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony was just waiting for his breakfast, relishing in the smell of his Alpha on the hoodie he was wearing, when the pain hit. And then... he panicked because there was only one reason for him to feel pain like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Never fear - Bucky will be back soon!
> 
> For some reason, this chapter was kind of hard to write. I don't know why... but I've already started the next one. You guys will like that one.
> 
> Warning: Tony has a panic attack in this one. This is also a SUPER dialogue-heavy chapter.

Tony woke slowly and pulled the pillow closer to his chest. His stomach rolled uncomfortably and he squeezed his eyes tighter, taking a deep breath through his nose. The scent of his alpha hit his nose and his stomach immediately settled. He sighed, pressing his face further into the pillow.

“Don’t smother yourself,” Tony heard Rhodey’s teasing voice come from the side of the room. Tony moved enough to blink one bleary eye at his friend. “You feeling okay?”

Tony groaned into the pillow and he saw Rhodey smile. “You slept for sixteen hours, Tones.”

“Damn, really?” Tony said, slowly sitting up and rubbing at his eyes.

“You need the rest.”

Tony jumped and turned, seeing Bruce standing by his closet. He tossed something at Tony, which Tony caught.

It ended up being one of Bucky’s favorite hoodies. Tony frowned at it, confused. “This was in the laundry hamper.”

“Yes,” Bruce said. “It smelled quite strongly of him. Wear it; it will help with your symptoms.”

Tony quirked an eyebrow at that but tugged the hoodie on. It wasn’t thick, but it was lined with fleece, which meant it was very soft and _very_ warm. Tony wasn’t going to complain about either of those.

“Let’s get some food in you,” Bruce said as he nodded at Rhodey and went out to the kitchen.

Rhodey helped Tony off the bed and out into the kitchen, helping him sit down at the kitchen table.

“I don’t get why I’m so weak,” Tony whined. “You said I slept for… ever. I got the rest I needed; why do I still feel like shit?”

“Probably the lack of food,” Bruce huffed as he rummaged in Tony’s refrigerator. “I asked Friday and she said you’d only eaten snack stuff you keep in the workshop ever since Bucky left.”

Tony shrugged. “So? Food is food.” Bruce muttered something under his breath, but Tony didn’t hear him. “What was that?”

“Nothing,” Bruce sighed, grabbing a spatula. He pointed the spatula at Rhodey, a stern expression on his face. “We are not leaving him alone until Bucky returns; he clearly cannot be trusted to take care of himself.”

“Rude!” Tony growled indignantly.

“Not listening,” Bruce replied as he tossed ingredients into a pan.

Tony wrapped one hand around his stomach and placed one arm on the table, laying his head on his arm. He pulled the hoodie up over his nose and focused on his alpha’s scent. Conversation drifted around him and Tony let himself doze, the sounds and smells not enough to get past the scent of his alpha that was embedded in the hoodie.

Suddenly Tony cried out, his hand flying from his stomach to his shoulder. A string of curses flew from his mouth, one right after another as the pain washed over him.

When it finally faded, he slowly blinked his eyes open and saw Rhodey’s concerned face as Bruce hovered over him, checking him over. “Tony, can you hear me?”

“Y-yeah,” Tony gasped. He blinked again and realized tears were streaming down his face. “What the hell was that?”

Bruce had a deep frown on his face. He glanced up at Rhodey and Tony saw a silent conversation pass between the two.

“Hey!” he shouted. “None of that silent-talking crap; tell me what happened!”

Bruce sighed. “That wasn’t your pain, Tony.”

Tony stared, confused. Rhodey and Bruce stared back patiently until it finally dawned on Tony. “Oh my God… Bucky!”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“Oh my God,” Tony whimpered. “What if he’s… the pain was so… I can’t…. I can’t lose him,” Tony gasped, his breath coming out in short, sharp gasps.

“Tony, you’re panicking,” Bruce murmured, rubbing Tony’s back. He grabbed the collar of the hoodie Tony was wearing and pulled it over Tony’s nose, pressing the fabric into his nose. “Breathe deeply – follow my counts,” he continued, counting and breathing with Tony. The rhythm and scent of his alpha eventually calmed Tony, though it took nearly fifteen minutes for him to feel like his heart wasn’t racing anymore.

“Panic attack?” Rhodey asked Bruce, who nodded in reply.

“Tony, he’s alive,” Bruce said firmly, making sure Tony was looking into Bruce’s eyes. “He is alive, Tony; you would know if he was dead. Yes, you felt his pain, but you would know without a shadow of a doubt if he was dead.”

Tony nodded slowly. His stomach rolled again and he whimpered, his hand wrapping around his stomach. “We need to find him,” Tony declared as he got to his feet. “I’ll get the suit on. Rhodey, I’ll summon War Machine for you. Bruce, I’ll understand if you don’t want to join us.”

Rhodey got up as well, but both men jumped when Bruce shouted. “No!”

Tony’s eyes went wide. “Brucey Bear?” he asked cautiously, not used to loud outbursts from his friend. It didn’t help that a flash of green went through the other man’s face, though his complexion settled back into its normal human color.

“Tony, you aren’t going into battle. Bucky would kill me if I let you go in your condition, and as your doctor, I cannot allow it. Unnecessary danger is not going to be in the cards for you for a while.”

“What, you’re benching me?” Tony asked, his jaw hanging open. “You can’t do that.”

“As your doctor, I can,” Bruce sighed. “What’s more, I know you’ll agree with me once you learn why. Your mate will more than agree with me, too.”

Tony frowned. “I don’t understand… and right now, I don’t really care. I just want my mate, okay? I’m going to go find him, bring him home, and then we can hash this out.”

Tony stopped as Bruce grabbed his arm and pulled him into the living room, forcing him to sit down on the couch with a bottle of water.

“You’re going to stay here,” Bruce said firmly. “Rhodey, will you please go get the rest of the team and go bring our wayward trio home so Tony doesn’t do any damage?”

Rhodey nodded and raced away. Tony glowered at Bruce. “I don’t think we can be friends anymore, Brucey-Bear. I’m revoking your Science-Bro privileges. You’ll have to earn that back.”

“Tony,” Bruce sighed sadly, sitting on the coffee table in front of Tony. “I’m sorry. Like I said, I know you, and I know you’ll agree with me once you understand your condition. Hell, we’ve talked about it before, and you said you’d bench yourself if it ever happened.”

“I did what now?” Tony asked, confused. “I don’t remember that conversation.”

“It was a few years ago before you ever even met Bucky. Look, I understand your mate is in danger. If it were necessary to endanger yourself, that would be one thing. We have multiple members of the team just hanging out at Avengers Tower, and they are all fully-capable of bringing your mate home. There is no reason right now for you to put yourself in unnecessary danger.”

They studied each other for a moment. Bruce looked nervous, which sent a pang of guilt through Tony. Bruce was one of his best friends, and the man was _always_ on his side. Bruce wouldn’t betray him; Tony knew that.

“So what’s wrong with me?” Tony finally asked. “Is it some kind of weird mate-withdrawal thing? I thought that didn’t happen after a couple months of being mated, and this didn’t start until Bucky left.”

“It doesn’t,” Bruce replied. “Not usually, anyway. I’d say Bucky’s absence is why your symptoms are so severe right now, but his absence is definitely not what caused them. In fact, he was definitely present for the… steps that did cause them.”

Tony frowned. “Bruce, what are you talking about?” he asked. “You’re not making any sense.”

Bruce sighed. “Tony…” Bruce ran a hand down his face and huffed. “I’d rather be telling you this with Bucky. I’m sorry. This isn’t the sort of news you should be getting without him.”

“Am I dying?” Tony asked? “Like… actually dying, this time? Because I really don’t want to do that shit again. The Palladium poisoning was bad enough.”

Bruce’s eyes widened at that. “Oh, God, no!” he gasped. “I actually think it’s a good thing, but I don’t… shit, Tony, I don’t even know if you’ve talked about it with Bucky before!”

“Bruce, just say it, please,” Tony begged.

Bruce stared at him for a few minutes before he finally nodded. “I’d still rather tell you this with Bucky around, but… Tony… you’re pregnant.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well.... I suck. I am soooooo sorry, guys! I have been so freaking busy at work and with life in general that I just haven't been able to write. It's also kind of challenging to switch gears during the week from writing professionally to writing for fun. I wasn't expecting to have that particular issue and I need to get better at that.
> 
> I'm going to post another chapter tomorrow as an apology. We'll start getting more of that Bucky/Tony interaction you guys love so much VERY soon!

Tony’s eyes widened. “I… uh… come again?”

“You’re pregnant, Tony. You’re having a baby.”

Tony stared, his expression blank. One hand drifted to his stomach, but Bruce had a feeling the omega in front of him didn’t even realize he was doing it.

Suddenly, Tony burst into tears.

Bruce jumped, startled. “Tony?” he asked gently, feeling nervous. “Is… I… uh… are you crying because this is bad news, because you’re scared, or because of hormones?”

Tony shook his head and pulled the hoodie over his nose, squeezing his eyes shut as he shook.

Bruce got up and sat down next to Tony, putting one arm around his friend’s shoulders. He could feel the omega’s shoulders shaking, which worried him. He didn’t want Tony having another panic attack; that wouldn’t be good for the baby.

“C’mon,” Bruce said, helping Tony get up and leading him back to his bedroom. “Do you want to take a hot bath, or just get into bed?”

“B-bed,” Tony sniffed. “Not taking this off,” he whimpered, clutching the hoodie tightly. Bruce nodded in understanding and helped Tony lay down on his bed.

“Everything is going to be okay, Tony,” Bruce said, tucking Tony into bed. “Rhodey is getting the rest of the team and they’ll bring Bucky home to you.”

Tony nodded, but Bruce could tell the other man was in shock. It was why Bruce hadn’t wanted to tell Tony about the baby when he was so worked up over his missing mate… especially after a panic attack. Under normal circumstances, he would have told his friend right away, but the stress wasn’t good for Tony or the baby, and Tony was already feeling stress from Bucky’s absence. Tony wasn’t weak and he wasn’t fragile, but he was still an omega. Mates and children had profound impacts on omegas, and their reactions could be unpredictable when they were stressed.

Tony sank down against Bucky’s pillow and closed his eyes, one hand resting over his stomach protectively. Again, Bruce was fairly certain Tony didn’t even realize he was doing it. It was natural – omega instincts to protect their children usually kicked in as soon as the pregnancy started, even if it was too early to pick up on a test.

Bruce hadn’t been lying when he said he knew Tony would agree that any unnecessary danger was something he would refuse to put himself in. His instincts to protect the life inside him would make it difficult for him to put himself in danger for any reason. The only possible exception was in order to save his mate, and there were multiple cases of omegas sacrificing their mates in order to save their children, born or unborn. Then again, there were also cases of alphas doing the same thing in order to save their born children. Even betas did it. The instincts to protect your children often overrode the instincts to protect your mate. Bruce was always astounded at what a parent would do to protect their child.

Bruce didn’t plan on ever finding out what that felt like. Maybe someday that would change, but in the meantime, he was more than happy to take care of his friends – no, his family. Tony and the others were his family.

When darkness fell and Tony was still asleep, Bruce decided it was time to check in with the team. He called Rhodey.

“Hey, Bruce,” Rhodey replied as soon as he answered the call. “How’s Tony?”

“He’s asleep,” Bruce said. “Have you found the others yet?”

“Yeah, we have them,” Rhodey replied. “We had a little bit of a rescue mission on our hands, but we’re on our way back. We’re heading straight to Stark Tower and Bruce, I’m warning you right now: Bucky is going to need medical attention.”

“What happened?” Bruce asked worriedly. “I need to know what kind of supplies I’m going to need.”

“His… uh… his metal arm is badly damaged and his other was dislocated. Natasha put it back in place, though. He probably has some bruised or broken ribs, and there are plenty of lacerations. He got caught a little too close to a bomb blast, and then the building he was in partially collapsed and he was trapped.”

Bruce bit back a curse. “I’ll have everything prepared. Are any of the others injured?”

“Yes, but they’re being taken care of. I actually just left them with Coulson and was getting ready to call you; we should be there in an hour.”

Bruce grunted as he gathered supplies. He found a rolling serving cart and cleared it, arranging his supplies on the cart. Normally he’d set up in one of the spare bedrooms, but he knew better this time. He would be tending to Bucky’s wounds in the confines of the bedroom he shared with Tony. Trying to keep the alpha and omega separated from each other when it wasn’t life-threatening could easily make the situation worse. Bucky would likely get angry and Tony’s stress would increase from the separation, which he really didn’t want. They would need to comfort each other.

 When Bucky and Rhodey finally arrived, Bruce was pleased to see Bucky was able to walk on his own. It was slower and definitely did not possess his usual grace, but he wasn’t limping and he didn’t need extra support.

“Tony,” Bucky said, his quiet and pained tone still managing to convey his mate’s name as the question that it was.

“Sleeping in your room,” Bruce murmured. “I’ll patch you up in there. He needs you, Bucky.”

Bucky, whose gaze had drifted in the direction of the bedroom, snapped back to Bruce. “What happened,” he growled, his steps becoming more purposeful.

“Mostly stress,” Bruce replied. “He does have some news for you, which I hope both of you will see as something exciting. I haven’t been able to discuss it with him to know for sure.”

“Exciting,” Bucky repeated slowly. “It’s nothing bad?”

“Not in my opinion,” Bruce said, feeling uncertain. He knew Bucky, but not as well as he would have liked. Hell, Tony was his best friend and he didn’t know how the omega felt about the baby.

Bucky didn’t argue; he just wanted to get to his mate.

The three men quietly entered the bedroom. Bucky immediately made his way to Tony and reached out. Bruce noted the stiff movements of the flesh arm, most likely still feeling pain from the dislocation despite his accelerated healing.

“Sunshine,” Bucky murmured as he gently placed his hand on Tony’s hand… the hand which still cradled the omega’s belly protectively.

Tony’s nose twitched and he sniffed, his eyes snapping open. “Alpha,” he gasped, launching himself at Bucky and throwing his arms around Bucky’s neck.

Bucky grunted a bit in pain and Tony immediately pulled back, eyes full of concern. “You’re hurt,” he said quietly. “Oh, God, your arm!”

“We’ll worry about the arm later,” Bucky soothed. “It’s okay, Sunshine.”

Bruce cleared his throat. “I hate to interrupt, but the sooner I tend to Bucky’s wounds, the sooner I can get out of your hair.”

Tony startled; he hadn’t even noticed the other two men in the room. Bucky, on the other hand, nodded. When he moved away, though, Tony whimpered.

“Shhh, it’s okay, Sugar, I’m not leaving,” Bucky murmured. “Just let me get on the bed. You can rest your head in my lap while Bruce works.”

Tony did just that. As soon as Bucky was situated comfortably on the bed, Tony laid his head in his alpha’s lap and wrapped his arms around the man’s leg. They didn’t speak while Bruce worked, content to just bask in each other’s presence.

“Nothing was broken,” Bruce said, using a handheld device that worked like an x-ray machine.

“What the hell is that?” Rhodey asked. “That’s some serious Star Trek shit.”

“That’s what inspired Tony to build it,” Bruce grinned. “I’m pleased to say it works very well.”

“’Course it does,” Bucky said lazily. “My omega built it.”

Bruce nodded. “With your accelerated healing, I’d say you’ll be right as rain in about a week. In the meantime, you’ll probably want to take it easy. You’ll be sore.”

Bucky nodded. “If there’s nothing else, I’d appreciate it if you guys would get out. I’d like to just be with my omega now.”

Bruce and Rhodey nodded. “I’m going to go downstairs to one of the guest rooms, just for the night to make sure both of you are okay. Come find me if you need anything,” Bruce said as the two of them left the room.

Bucky let out a sigh and felt his body relax. He hadn’t even realized how much tension he’d been feeling at having someone else in a room that was only meant for him and his omega but now that it was just the two of them, everything was as it should be.

“C’mere, Sugar,” Bucky said, gently nudging Tony.

Tony made his way up the bed and rested on his side, one arm trailing down the badly damaged metal arm. “We should head down to my workshop so I can fix this,” Tony said, moving as though he was going to get up.

“Tony, come here,” Bucky repeated, letting a little of the alpha slip into the tone. Tony was unable to resist and immediately moved to his mate. “The arm can wait,” Bucky soothed. “Although if you could get it off me, that might be better. You could curl up against me on that side.”

Tony sat up and then helped Bucky sit up, as well. It took about twenty minutes for Tony to work all of the many switches, levers, and mechanisms necessary for removing the arm but once it was finally detached, Tony placed it on one of the tables.

“Finally,” Bucky sighed, laying down on the bed. Tony curled against his side, nuzzling against his chest. Both of them sighed in content.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Tony whispered.

Bucky smiled and kissed the top of his mate’s head. “I’m sorry I worried you, Sunshine.”

“I was very worried,” Tony acknowledged. “Don’t do that to me again.”

Bucky chuckled. “I’ll do my best.”

“I’m serious, Bucky,” Tony huffed. “I need you.” Then he turned and took Bucky’s hand. He pulled gently until his alpha’s hand was pressed against his belly. “ _We_ need you.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky and Tony have the baby talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this written one way, hated it, scrapped it, rewrote it during a flu-haze, and now I'm posting it (still in a flu-haze) so please let me know if I totally screwed something up. If I did, I'm blaming the flu. It's evil.
> 
> (Spoiler/warning): I updated some tags. This is the first chapter where the rating finally makes itself necessary.

Bucky stilled, his gaze locked on the hand on his mate’s stomach. He stared so intently that Tony began to wonder if his mate was trying to see right into his abdomen.

“Bucky?” Tony said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. When his mate didn’t so much as blink, Tony began to feel the anxiety creeping up on him.

He hadn’t talked about kids with Bucky yet. Tony had always secretly wanted to have a big family to make up for the lack of one he grew up with, but what if his mate didn’t even _want_ children? Tony had lived through only one of his parents really wanting him; he didn’t want his child to live through that, too. If Bucky didn’t want the baby…

“A-alpha,” Tony tried again, unable to keep his voice from faltering. Bucky’s gaze snapped up to meet his and Tony was shocked to see unshed tears in his alpha’s eyes. Tony’s heart lurched at the sight, unsure how to handle the sight of tears in his alpha’s eyes. Bucky was a force to be reckoned with; he never cried, even when he probably should. “Alpha?” he tried again.

“ _God,_ Sunshine,” Bucky whispered, his voice filled with reverence. “I… I didn’t even… your scent has changed,” he continued. “I didn’t make the connection until…”

Bucky’s tone was completely lost on Tony. “You… you aren’t mad, are you?” Tony asked nervously, unable to look at Bucky. Instead he stared down at their hands, which were entwined and still resting on his abdomen.

Bucky sat up and gently pulled Tony until he was resting comfortably against his alpha’s chest. Bucky ran his fingers through Tony’s hair, knowing very well just how calming that was for Tony.

“Sunshine,” Bucky began carefully. “Are _you_ upset about this?”

“W-what?” Tony asked, startled. He pulled away just enough to be able to look up at Bucky. Bucky was always hard to read, but Tony liked to think he was getting better at it. This time Tony thought his alpha’s eyes were full of concern, as well as something else he wasn’t able to place.

“I asked if you were upset about the baby,” Bucky repeated slowly. “I really need you to answer that question for me before we continue this conversation.”

“I… no, I’m not upset about the baby,” Tony replied, looking away again.

Bucky reached out and caught Tony’s chin, turning it back to him. His gaze was searching. “But you _are_ upset,” Bucky said slowly. “I can sense the stress coming from you, Sunshine. What’s wrong?”

“I… we haven’t…” Tony took a deep breath. “Do you even _want_ the baby?”

Bucky tensed and Tony immediately shrank into himself at the reaction, eyes squeezing shut. He should have known! Nothing good ever lasted for this long in his life; why should having a mate be any different? Of course, Bucky wouldn’t be interested in children, _especially_ with him. It was probably just as well; what kind of father would he be, considering his shining example of a—

Tony found himself being pulled into Bucky’s lap completely. Bucky pushed gently on Tony’s head until Tony’s nose was pressed right up against Bucky’s neck and the only thing he could smell was Alpha. Bucky. _Home._

“There you go,” Bucky murmured, his hand rubbing gentle circles. “Deep breaths, Sunshine.”

Bucky held Tony until he couldn’t smell the stress and anxiety pouring off his omega. Only then did he pull back and look Tony in the eyes again.

“I don’t know what that was about,” Bucky began, “And you can be damn sure you’re going to be explaining it. But don’t you _ever_ doubt how much I want you. Either of you,” he continued, sending a pointed glance at Tony’s abdomen.

Tony flushed slightly in embarrassment. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “I’m… maybe it was the hormones, but…”

Bucky raised an eyebrow. “Sweetheart, your hormones may have brought out the reaction, but they didn’t plant the thoughts in your head in the first place. Now what’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”

“I was scared you wouldn’t want the baby,” Tony mumbled, a hand wrapping around his stomach. “We haven’t talked about it and I didn’t know…”

Bucky flipped Tony in one easy movement. He couldn’t keep the possessive growl from escaping as he gazed at his mate spread out on the bed beneath him. Bucky quickly pulled his clothes off and tossed them in a corner before turning to his mate. As gently and slowly as he could, Bucky undressed Tony. He showed his mate all the care in the world, just as he deserved.

When Tony was finally naked beneath him, Bucky lowered himself until he was resting on his forearms, his head level with Tony’s stomach.

“Bucky?” Tony asked, confused. “What are you—“

Bucky pressed a gentle kiss to Tony’s abdomen. “Hi there, little one,” Bucky whispered against the soft skin of Tony’s stomach. Tony gasped and immediately fell silent, watching as his alpha continued to speak to his stomach.

“Your papa seems to have gotten some crazy ideas in his head,” Bucky continued, pressing another kiss to the other side of Tony’s stomach. “Don’t pay any attention to him. He worries a lot, especially about things he doesn’t need to worry about… like this. You never have to worry about how much I want you, little one.”

“You and your papa are my whole world,” Bucky sighed, nuzzling against Tony’s stomach. “I plan to spend the rest of my life making sure neither of you ever doubt that.”

When Bucky heard a sniff, he looked up at his mate. There were tears in Tony’s eyes, but this time Bucky was relieved to note his mate looked happy.

Maybe a little more than happy, actually… Bucky’s nostrils flared and he felt his dick begin to stiffen when Tony’s scent changed again. He bit back a chuckle as he crawled up Tony’s body until they were eye-to-eye, nipping at Tony’s bottom lip. “Sunshine, are you and your emotions _trying_ to give me whiplash?”

“Better get used to it,” Tony growled playfully.

“I guess we’ll have to finish this conversation later.”

“Yes, later. That sounds good. Missed you.” Then, much to Bucky’s surprise, Tony flipped them over so Bucky was on his back and Tony was straddling him.

“Now _that’s_ a nice view,” Bucky grinned. Tony wasn’t on top very often, preferring to be absolutely surrounded by his alpha.

“It’ll be nicer when I’m riding your cock.”

Bucky growled, his fingers going to Tony’s hips.

“Nope,” Tony said, grabbing Bucky’s hands and entwining their fingers together. “You can hold my hands or you can hold on to the headboard, but that’s it. This is _my_ party.”

Part of Bucky, the alpha part, wanted to pin his mate down and prove to him who the alpha was in their relationship. His more rational side, however, was thrilled at this demanding side to his mate.

“Are you ready?” Tony asked. “Please say you’re ready.”

“I’m always ready for you,” Bucky murmured. “Don’t we need to prep you first, though?”

Tony shook his head and reached behind himself, grasping Bucky’s dick and lining it up with his entrance.

“Hold on, Sugar, you’re not in heat, we can’t just— mmmmm.”

Bucky’s protests broke off in a moan as Tony took all of him in one smooth movement. The perfect wet heat surrounding him was almost enough to make him forget why he was protesting in the first place.

Almost.

“Tony, are you okay?” He asked, reaching up and cupping the side of Tony’s face.

“Mhm.” Tony nuzzled the hand and pressed a kiss to Bucky’s palm. “Guess it’s a… pregnancy thing…” he began a bit haltingly as he began to move slowly. “I just… knew I was ready. Oh, shit, you feel so good,” Tony moaned, his head falling back as he began to move faster.

Bucky bit back a curse, his fingers threading with Tony’s. “Look at you,” he moaned, his eyes raking over his mate’s body. “So beautiful, Tony. My beautiful omega. We should put mirrors in here. I want you to see yourself, Tony. And I want you to see yourself doing this months from now, because Sunshine, you’ll be just as gorgeous then as you are now. The thought of you riding my cock, your stomach swollen with our child… God, Sweetheart, I hope you want more than one kid because I’m going to develop a breeding and pregnancy fetish.”

“Alpha,” Tony groaned, dropping one of Bucky’s hands in order to reach for his own cock.

“No,” Bucky growled, grabbing Tony’s hand again. “I can’t touch; you can’t, either. I want you to get yourself off just like this.

“Alpha, please,” Tony whimpered, his movements becoming more haphazard.

“C’mon, Sunshine, I know you’re almost there.”

Tony whimpered again and squeezed Bucky’s hands. Once, twice, three times, and suddenly Tony’s back was arching, coming all over Bucky’s chest and clamping down rhythmically on Bucky’s cock. Bucky groaned, the sight and the feel of Tony’s climax bringing his own. Tony shuddered, expression blissful as Bucky filled him with his seed.

“Perfect,” Bucky said as he wrapped his arms around Tony. “My perfect omega – my love.”

“Love you,” Tony mumbled, lowering himself to Bucky’s chest.

“We should clean up,” Bucky sighed as he ran one hand along Tony’s back.

Tony groaned. “Later?”

Bucky smiled and kissed the top of Tony’s head. “Yeah. Later.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky and Tony go to their first baby appointment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! Remember me? No? That's okay - I don't, either.
> 
> I really thought I'd have more time once I graduated... and no. I spend all week writing for work (which is freaking awesome) but sometimes the motivation to write fiction escapes me. 
> 
> There's been a bit of a time jump here... maybe? I haven't really decided. I feel like this chapter takes place a couple weeks after the last one.
> 
> SPECIAL NOTE: there's a thing with Bucky's arm in previous chapters... if you're one of the people who caught it, thanks for pointing it out. I'm going to go back and edit to fix that detail eventually... I just haven't had time. I love you guys for noticing and making me aware of it! 

“Why did I let you talk me into this, again?” Tony frowned as he looked around at the magazine-filled tables and pictures tastefully decorating the walls, all of which were baby-themed. “I don’t like doctors. I don’t want to be here.”

“Well, then you can think of it this way; it’s not for _you_ ,” Bucky shrugged. “It’s for the pipsqueak.”

“You are _not_ calling our child _Pipsqueak_ ,” Tony huffed, crossing his arms and sending a look at his alpha.

Bucky smiled innocently. “Only until we have an actual name. I’m definitely not calling it a _Bean,”_ he continued in disgust.

“You just don’t like it because Rhodey said it. That’s what babies look like during their first ultrasound photos. Tons of people call their babies that.”

“No; I don’t like it because it’s awful,” Bucky huffed.

“What’s wrong with _Bean_?”

“First, it’s a food,” Bucky began, holding up one finger with each point he made. “Second, there’s a reason I don’t stick around if Steve has them for dinner. Toxic. Fumes. Do you _want_ to give our baby a complex?”

“You’re being ridiculous.”

“No, I’m trying to make sure our baby doesn’t wind up thinking it’s some kind of food that causes deadly reactions in humans.”

The two stared at each other, completely missing the door opening on the other side of the room.

“Are you ready, Tony?”

Bucky and Tony looked up to see a nurse standing in one of the doorways.

“Oh. Um. Yes. I.. uh…” Tony glanced at Bucky, suddenly feeling nervous. “Bucky…”

“Your alpha can come with you, dear,” the nurse said, giving him a kind smile. “We will never force you to go through these appointments alone. If your alpha is unable to come, you can even bring a friend.”

“Okay, yeah, thanks,” Tony said, blushing a little in embarrassment at how obvious he had been. He grabbed Bucky’s hand and they followed the nurse.

After taking a million measurements, drawing some blood, and having to pee in a freaking cup, Tony was finally on one of those god-awful not-beds while his mate sat in a not-god-awful chair beside him.

“I can smell your anxiety, Sugar,” Bucky said, taking Tony’s hand gently and rubbing his thumb over the back of his mate’s hand. “What’s wrong?”

“What if something’s wrong with the baby?” Tony whispered, squeezing Bucky’s hand. “I’ll love our baby no matter what, but what if…”

“Let’s save the what-if’s for now, Mr. Stark.” Tony and Bucky looked up as a woman came in. She was busty, blonde, about Tony’s age, and an omega. “I’m Dr. Mary Trenton. You can call me Doc, Mary, Dr. Trenton, whatever you’re comfortable with.”

“I’m Bucky,” Bucky said, shaking her hand, then gesturing towards his mate. “This is Tony.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” she nodded, then glanced down at her clipboard. “First pregnancy, yes?” She asked, glancing up at Tony. Tony nodded, and she nodded, as well. “That certainly explains the worry I heard when I came in. It’s okay to worry; that’s normal, and I’d be a little concerned if you weren’t feeling it at least a little. That being said, I don’t want you to stress yourself. I can put all of these worries to rest.”

“Okay,” Tony said, taking a deep breath.

“We ran your bloodwork, and there is absolutely nothing to suggest any abnormalities. I can run further tests if you’d like, but based on the medical family history both of you provided, there isn’t anything specific we should worry about. Now, how about we get a look at the baby?”

Both of them nodded and she smiled. “Okay, and just because I’m nosey and I like to know these things, what do you two plan on having the baby call you?”

“I want to be Papa,” Tony said.

“You sure?” Buck asked. “You don’t want to be Dad?”

“No,” Tony shook his head. “I’m technically in the _mom_ role – and don’t you _dare_ repeat that to anyone or I’ll kill you – so I’d rather be Papa. I’d actually like _you_ to be Daddy.”

Bucky didn’t really know what to say. He opened his mouth a few times, but nothing seemed adequate. Instead he finally just nuzzled Tony’s cheek and whispered a quiet “Thank you” in his mate’s ear.

“So, Papa and Daddy,” Mary said after a few minutes, unable to keep herself from smirking at them. “Are you ready to get your first glimpse at your little bundle of joy?”

“Yeah, we’re ready,” Tony said, squeezing his mate’s hand.

The doctor nodded and after Tony’s shirt was lifted up and some cool gel was applied, she pressed the wand for the ultrasound to his stomach. A few seconds later, the screen lit up and there was a rhythmic thumping sound. The doctor highlighted a small area on the screen. “That’s your baby. And that thumping you’re hearing is your baby’s heartbeat.”

Tony bit back a sob at the word “heartbeat.” When he turned to look at Bucky, he was stunned to see his alpha had tears in his eyes again. “Bucky?”

“I love you,” Bucky said in a rush, kissing Tony with all the love he could possibly pour into the kiss. “That’s… that’s our baby’s heartbeat. Darlin…  We made that.”

“And in nine months we’ll get to hold our baby,” Tony sniffed, pressing his forehead to Buck’s.

“Actually, more like 28 weeks from now. You’re 12 weeks along, Tony.”

“Why does that feel like tomorrow, but if you said six-seven months, that would sound like we had loads of time?” Bucky mused, staring in awe at the ultrasound display.

“Oh my god, we don’t have anything!” Tony gasped. “We don’t have a single thing for the baby. We haven’t even picked a bedroom!” Tony’s eyes welled up with tears. “And now I’m fuckin’ crying again! I’m so sick of this shit.”

“Shhhh, it’s okay,” Bucky hushed as he reached out to run his fingers through Tony’s hair, only to have Tony brush him off.

“Awful mood swings, eh?” the doctor chuckled. “They suck, but should be tapering off. They can hit omegas a little harder sometimes, but they should be getting better until you hit the third trimester.”

Tony nodded, not really paying attention. “Yeah, yeah, they’re getting better, whatever. Can I get a copy of the ultrasound? And then can we go? I really need to go shopping. Or should I have Pepper do it? Bucky, Should I have Pepper do the shopping for the baby?”

“How about you just go with Pepper?” Bucky asked.

“Huh…” Tony nodded, pulling out his phone. “Good idea.”

“I’m full of them,” Bucky deadpanned.

The doctor grinned and shook her head as she handed them a copy of the ultrasound, as well as a strip of photos. “I want to see you back in four weeks. If you have any problems you can call and we’ll get you in sooner, but everything looks great. Keep doing what you’re doing. I’m also going to call in some omega prenatal vitamins for you to pick up at the pharmacy.”

“Okay, yeah, sure,” Tony nodded, waving a hand dismissively.

“You should also try yoga. It would be good for you – relaxing.”

“Yeah, yoga, good, sounds fine,” Tony continued as he made his way towards the door. “I’ll meet you outside, Alpha.”

Bucky rolled his eyes. “I’m sorry about that.”

The doctor smirked. “You have your hands full.”

“Hell yes, I do.”

“See if you can get him to do the yoga. It’s good for him. I can threaten him with bed rest if he refuses to take care of himself properly.”

Bucky raised an eyebrow. “Seriously?”

“I am all about my patient’s health, Bucky,” she replied calmly. “That includes the baby’s health. If he refuses to take care of himself … I can get creative.”

“You should never meet Pepper or Natasha.”

“Oh, Pepper is in my book club; I’m already well-acquainted with her.”

Bucky blinked. “That… probably shouldn’t surprise me.”

Dr. Trenton grinned. “Stop by the front desk and set up an appointment for next month. I want to see him once a month for now.”

Bucky nodded and, after setting up the appointment, made his way outside to find his mate… who was pacing and tapping away at his phone.

“Tony,” Bucky murmured as he wrapped his arms around his mate’s waist. “What’re you doin’, Sugar?”

“Baby stuff,” Tony said, not looking up from his phone. Bucky stretched and peered over his shoulder to see Tony ordering a bassinet. “We’ll need a crib, of course, but the bassinet will be in our room so I can keep an eye on the baby at night.”

“As long as you still get enough sleep,” Bucky warned. “You’re not going to be the only one waking up in the middle of the night to take care of the kid, you know.”

“You…. You’re going to get up in the middle of the night?” Tony asked, looking confused.

Bucky frowned. “Well… yeah. Why wouldn’t I? It’s not just your baby – it’s mine, too.”

“My dad never… it was always either my mom or a nanny,” Tony said, looking down at his phone again. “What stuffed animal should we get? They don’t just do bears anymore; there are giraffes, frogs, foxes… anything we want.”

“Oh, hell no,” Bucky huffed, snatching the phone from Tony and putting it in his own pocket. “We are not ordering something as important as our baby’s first stuffed animal online.” With that, Bucky took Tony’s hand and started pulling him towards their car.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on [Tumblr!](http://cognizantcatastrophe.tumblr.com/)


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